Call to action to combat gender discrimination

“Discrimination against women in
New Zealand will be tackled by working groups set up to
review and help drive change in several priority areas,”
National Council of Women of New Zealand (NCWNZ) President
Barbara Arnold said today.

Barbara Arnold was commenting
on the development of an action plan designed to address key
areas identified by the UN committee monitoring the
Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against
Women (CEDAW) following its meeting in New York in July this
year.

“Although the Committee recognises that New
Zealand has been a world leader in achieving equality for
women in many sectors, it is concerned about the current
situation particularly in justice, health, employment and
welfare," Barbara Arnold said.

“The Committee has
asked the Government to take action on a number of issues
including the gender pay gap; restrictions on abortion under
New Zealand law; the low rate of women’s participation on
boards and in other leadership roles; the lack of an action
plan for New Zealand women; the low level of paid parental
leave entitlements compared to other developed countries;
and neglect of issues faced by ethnic women.

“Last
month NCWNZ organised a seminar in Wellington which brought
together organisations from the NGO sector to establish
working groups as part of an action plan to ensure the
Committee’s recommendations are implemented. Our role is
to ensure that appropriate steps are taken to tackle the
persistent inequalities that exist in New
Zealand.

“NCWNZ is keen to hear from other groups and
individuals who are interested in being involved in this
process,” said Barbara Arnold.ENDSNotes:• Convention on
the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women
(CEDAW) is an international treaty and rights based
framework which was adopted in 1979 as one of the six
primary international documents for the protection and
promotion of human rights.• New Zealand ratified the
convention in 1985.• The New Zealand Government
presented its seventh report to the CEDAW committee in July
2012.• NCWNZ co-ordinated the Aotearoa New Zealand
Non-Governmental Organisations Report to the CEDAW committee
and presented this report in July 2012.• Organisations
represented at the NCWNZ Seminar include: ALRANZ, Business
and Professional Women New Zealand, Girl Guiding New
Zealand, NZ Federation of Graduate Women, NZ Federation of
Women's Institutes, Presbyterian Women Aotearoa New Zealand,
Rural Women New Zealand, The Salvation Army, UN Women, Women
in Leadership Aotearoa, Women's Refuge and Zonta
International.

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